The Washington critic., 1887-01-15

nIsnARCK AND TuE ARMY NIL.
Tie speech Of Prince Bismarck In
support Of ihe Army bin. which was
no doubt no honest a plea rs Il was
earnest. for the protection of the Em.
piro by an increase Of its military re-
sources, against cylgencies which hc
evidently believes 10 be imminent,
failed Of rs intended effect and tue
German Parliament g. di'-oNul.
An appeal viii unw ha made 10 the
country, with What better success re-
mains 10 be- seen.
From an imperial dluiplilt, Bis
marok is undoubtedly right lie Is
cautious and lus,'in- statesman TO
whom the autonomy ui ihy Emplrci IL
dear as the appl' ol Li. eye. Its for
this that be pleads, counting ne moth
ing the additional burden. that the pro.
posed legislation might impose upon
. the people, but Us everything the ah'5.
Lutte lnyiolhbilily of Tie Conditions I'm.
Ios,d upon France at TIE treaty Of
September 1871.
iHA' - lhN -hIi'Ni" H''I''h W AAN
Army bill said the Prince.
we have done nh In our power
he grinly adds, 10 induce the French
TO forge, and forgive" stiil, 10 main.
tain our peaceful relations with France
Is difficult, because q long historical
process must be- accomplished before
The feelings Of thl pIst are appeascl
and differences reconcllcd." Again
1--WE cannot count Upon peace with
France as permanent
All the arguments that bismarck
and Won Moltke could adducc, how.
ever, were inadequate TO move the
stubborn opposition Of DIR. Wlndthorst
To his unmilitary eyes there were no
such signs Of danger In the East as to
Justify the conversion Of the country
into camp; and the bill, by which the
government set such store, meant only
more exactions upon an already taV.im.
poverished people; new sources Of dis.
content, new incentives TO emigration,
new impedlments In the pathway Of
civil liberty and public prosperity.
Speaking In the interests Of that
peace which is so desirable. DIR. Wind.
thorst judged truly. Looking forward
to the means and possible necessity OF
clipping the expanding wings OF
France, Blsmarck's stalecraft was the
more sagacious.
But setting aside all clnsllera,i ms
of thi possibility or probability Of
another war between Germany and
France, the debate Of the army bill In
the Relchstag is of peculiar interest as
showing the drifting away Of popular
feeling from a seryile and supine an.
chorage in the Crown.
The commonaly of Germany are
thinking and feeling and be .innlng to
act for themselves these later years,
with higher aspirations than to tickle
the military vanity of the Kaiser and
feed the ambition of his advisers.
"The Chancellor can certainly dis
solve the Reichstag, says DR.. Wind.
thorst, but what is to he gained by
dissolution? What would be the use
of the Constitution or even the whole
machinery of state If the Reichstay
exists only to signify its assent 10 the
measures submitted to it, This Is
plain Democratic talk to din in the
lars of Prince Bismarck, aud he could
merely say in reply that the Doctors
view of the situation was "eXagger-
ated."
1t was certainly moi treason, for that
would have been promptly resented.
1t was declaration of parliamentary
independence, without which no con.
stitutional government can exist nor
the liberties of its people survive And
in the face of this utterancc even the
Chancellor Of the Empire stood we'll.
nigh speechless.
Imperial dictation, however, even If
it be unable TO intimidate the Reichstag
into an unresisting support of the Gov.
ernment's measures, still has the power
TO annul the legislature itself. No
other resource but this Is left. The
question at issue now goes back to the
people, and in the next choice Of elect.
ors there will no doubt be furnished a
still more conspicuous illustration of
the progress Of German thought In the
direction of self government and free
Institutions. The contest will be
watched with eager interest, not alone
in France, but in all Europe nor alone
in Europe, but wherever the fou ida.
lions Of popular liberty have been laid
SEyEN of the nine msmbirs Of thi
Senate District C1mmitIee arc opposed
to the confirmation OF James G. Mat
thews for Recorder of Deeds, and lho
rejection of the nomination by the Sen
ate will follow by proper 10 lately
large majority. II Is understood that
the general objection to the appoint
ment rests upon the fact that Mr. Mat
thews is not resident Of the District
and that the President IN making the
selection departed from a declared prln
ciple Of both the party platforms.
What influence the reappointment
after the nominee had been once bcfor,
rejected, may have had upon the pres
ent determination Of the committee
does not appear. 1t is but natural and
probable, however that the oppo
sition was intensified on this aG
count even If the Presidents de
flant action had no other weight
AS to the question of color, II was no
considered by the committee to any
material extent There is every reason
to believe that the purest Caucasian the
city of Albany can produce would have